


Walk through the fire

by Better_Than_Chocolate



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 17:57:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Better_Than_Chocolate/pseuds/Better_Than_Chocolate
Summary: 🔥When fire meets fate🔥I always wanted to write a firefighter story with Malec so here it is 🖤





	Walk through the fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OkayUhm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkayUhm/gifts).



The familiar noise of the alarm filled the air. It crept into every single space like smoke.

Alec heard the alarm over a thousand times during the years, yet he closed his eyes for a second allowing the uneasy feeling to rule his heart for a moment. He always gave himself a minute to feel scared, unready and nervous. He knew that he can not allow himself to feel any of those later no matter what waits for him. 

During the years he saw things he never wanted to see. Things he will never forget no matter how many years passes, there are memories burnt into his mind so vividly as if it only happened a minute ago. 

He was a firefighter. 

He remembered being a kid and dreaming about becoming a superhero, saving people’s lives, their homes. And he did. Countless times. 

It doesn’t mean he never considered giving up. Despite the amount of lives, he saved during the years, his job was often ugly, unbearable and soul killing. 

He remembered a few weeks ago some college kids came to the station. It was a school trip with roughly 7 students and a teacher. It was supposed to be Jace’s day, but they swapped last minute, therefor it was Alec’s job to talk to them about the job and show them around along with answering any questions they had. 

He talked about the job and tried to stay professional with a few occasional jokes to brake the ice. Until he heard one of the kids saying something he couldn’t ignore. 

_“Man, I’ll be a firefighter, the girls will fucking love all the stories.” One of the guys said, not to Alec but he overheard anyway and despite his better judgement he couldn’t let it go._

_“Is that what you think we do? Save people and then brag about it to girls in the club as some sort of pick up line?” He asked with his eyebrow raised._

_“I mean.. don’t tell me you never got a chick just by saying you are a fire fighter.” The guy said laughing._

_Alec took a deep breath, his glance hardening as he walked to the boy, standing in front of him, hands behind his back, legs slightly parted._

_He was tall and he was aware how intimidating his posture was currently. He also knew that if Jace or anyone would have been here instead of him, they would have let it go. But Alec wasn’t anyone else._

_“No, I haven’t. Not just because I have no interest in women, but because being a fire fighter isn’t something we choose, to tell awesome stories later on. We choose it, so we can save lives. So, we can make a difference in the world.”_

_“Alright.. it was a joke just. Sorry.” The guy said and rolled his eyes as he sighed, clearly feeling uncomfortable by this point._

_“It might be a joke for you, but it isn’t for me. Or any fire fighter. Let me tell you two stories, so you will see what it is really like in this job.” He said and he saw the interest on the kids’ face, and he licked his lips before continuing. Talking about his job in general was easy, bringing up memories.. it was hard._

_“Generally, when we get a case, the alarms go off and we have seconds to get ready and get going. We get a brief summary of what we will be dealing with, whether it’s a fire, car accident, someone being trapped, dangerous substances or an animal in danger. We get a rough picture of what we will see when we get to the scene, but we never really know it until we are there._

_We all saw things that you can’t even imagine. Things that shook our world, broke us.. things that we wish to forget but never will. Death is a common thing. We see people die every week. We try everything in our powers to save them, but sometimes life just has another way, and no matter what we do and how hard we try, we fail. Living with that is hard and not everyone is strong enough to endure it._

_There are two particular cases that stuck with me during the years._

_The first one was during my first year. We were called to a house fire at the middle of the night. The call came in at 2.13pm. Me and my ex-partner were the first ones attending at the scene, two others coming right after us. Time is crucial. There are only seconds between life and death._

_A family of five was in the house. The fire made its way up from the ground floor, trapping the family. It’s believed that by the time they realised the fire in their sleep, it was too late for them to get out._

_My ex-partner went for the parents, I went for the kids. There were two twin boys at the age of 7 and an older girl, around 14. The fire was spreading a lot faster than we thought it would due to the wooden floor and furniture. The back up was nowhere to be seen and my partner was helping the parents. I couldn’t help all the children out at the same time, it was dangerous, and the smoke was everywhere, making it hard for me to find a safe path. I was looking at the kids and thought about my siblings. The girl looked like my sister. The same black hair, dark eyes. I didn’t know which hand to bite, I could only take maximum two of them at the same time. She begged me to take her brothers first._

_I didn’t have time to waste, so I did. I grabbed them and made my way down to safety. I just put them down and turned around to go back for the girl when there was an explosion._

_I stood outside, with the rest of my colleagues, the parents and the twins as the house burnt to the ground with their daughter inside. She was the very first person I lost. A kid._

_Her name was Jessica. I will never forget her.” He took a few seconds and closed his eyes. He could see her in front of him, he was back in the room, the smoke surrounding them like darkness. He swallowed and looked down for a moment before clearing his throat._

_“The other one happened two years ago. That’s when I lost my partner. She didn’t die. She quit afterwards. We were called to a car accident. All we knew was that there was a car crash, involving two cars and three casualties. The police and ambulance arrived the same time as us. First, I didn’t realise. To this very day, I don’t know how it slipped my attention. We got there, my partner jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran towards the car. She was screaming frantically._

_Her husband was in one of the cars. He died on the scene. I had to restrain her, drag her away from the car until the back up got there. The worst thing was that there was nothing I could have done. I couldn’t tell her that it will be alright, that she will be okay. She just saw her husband’s lifeless body in the car wreck. What could possibly make this right?_

_The last thing you expect to see on the scene is someone you love, someone you know. As a firefighter, you have to be there in mind 100%. You have to be focused, composed. You can’t make mistakes. You have to think with your head. But when you arrive on the scene and one of your loved ones’ life is on the line.. your emotions cloud your judgements, you slip, and someone dies. Our biggest fear is to get a call like that, and her fear became true on that day. Lydia wasn’t just my partner but a friend and her husband, John was a great man. They deserved years together. They deserved happiness._

_So, no. I never talk about stories to people in the bar or to anyone for that matter. When I succeed, I don’t do it to brag and the ones when we fail.. is even harder to speak of._

_Keep that in mind when you hand in your application.” He said with a nod towards the boy, whose face was now pale, and his eyes were filled with shock. He knew he scared the kid and he will probably never even fill out an application form, let alone hand it in, but that was okay. This job wasn’t for everyone._

“Alec.” Jace’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he quickly jumped up, putting his gear on before climbing into the truck. 

Jace was driving as usual. Alec didn’t have problem with driving but Jace seemed to prefer it, so they set up a pattern between them. 

Alec turned the sirens on as they pulled out from the garage. 

They were heading to a five-storey building in Brooklyn along with others. Once they arrive to the scene, they will might need to call for more assistance but its hard to tell at this point. 

Alec turned up the volume on the radio and payed attention to the information they were given. 

There were fifteen lofts altogether. The fire erupted on the third floor. Residence were evacuated from the floors below but there were others stuck in their homes. 

Alec was staring at a point in the air as he tried to clear his mind, letting go everything that could possibly distract him from his aim. 

“Alright buddy?” Jace asked, not moving his attention from the road but Alec could hear the slight worry in his voice. 

“I’m good Jace. You don’t need to worry about me.” He said and hoped he didn’t sound annoyed. He knew Jace had good motives by checking on him, but right now it wasn’t the place or time to dwell on the past. 

“Okay.” He said with a sigh and Alec knew that they were both thinking about the case from last week. They lost someone. It was no one’s fault but Alec did blame himself for it. He didn’t say it out loud, but he didn’t have to. Jace knew him well enough to see if something got under his skin. 

They only worked together for two years but they clicked instantly. It was like they had one mind. They always knew what the other wanted without words and it came handy at several occasions. 

Alec was biting the inside of his mouth as they got closer and closer to their destination. 

“10-84 Herondale/Lightwood” Alec spoke into the radio as they arrived at the scene. 

They jumped out of the car as soon as Jace turned the engine off, they saw Garroway running towards them. 

“There are two people left in the building. A woman on the forth floor and a man on the fifth. Herondale, you go with the rest of the guys to extinguish the fire, Underhill is on his way to the woman on the forth. Lightwood, go and get the man on the fifth. Alaric and Aldertee will go after you guys if you need assistance. Everyone else is working on the fire.” He said quickly as they paced towards the building. 

“The staircase is safe to use as of now, the smoke is everywhere, be careful.” He added with a nod and Alec nodded back before he ran off towards the building. 

The heat wasn’t too bad on the ground and first floor but the upper he got it became unbearable. 

He tried to ignore the general survival instinct he had as he pushed it into the back of his mind. 

He saw others working on the floors, trying to stop the flames from spreading. 

The guy was in the loft on the left. Alec tried to open the door, but it was closed. He groaned in frustration. Who would be stupid enough to close the door? It’s not as if the fire would knock before coming in. 

He banged on the door hoping that whoever was on the other side would spare him from kicking the door in. 

He didn’t wait for more than ten seconds; he broke in and looked around. 

He had no idea how the smoke spread this fast. He found it hard to see and hoped to whatever god was above that the guy wasn’t lying unconscious somewhere. 

“NYFD! Where are you?” He shouted as he looked around trying to spot any movement. 

He went from room to room, hoping to find the man. He didn’t know how the rest of the team were doing, but judging by the sound of sirens, he assumed that things were less likely under control. 

The night was dry and there was slight wind, making it easier for the fire to spread once it reached the outer part of the building. 

He found the guy sitting on the floor in the bedroom. 

“Are you alright?” Alec asked as he ran to him. It was stupid to ask considering the state of the man. He was staring into the emptiness with eyes wide in shock, his body was shaking, and he seemed to be miles away in head. 

“Halo.” Alec said as he squatted to get a better look at the man. 

He was a few years older than Alec and he could tell, even through the smoke and in such a state, that he was handsome. Alec sighed inwardly, it was just his luck that they couldn’t run into each other in a bar or something. 

Alec tried everything to snap the man out from him mental journey, but he didn’t have time to waste. 

He grabbed the man by the shoulders and gave him a shake, not too viciously to cause any harm. 

It seemed to work because the man suddenly blinked a few and raised his gaze to meet Alec’s. 

“I’m Alec from NYFD.” Alec said as he helped the man to get up. 

“Magnus.” The man answered and he seemed to be taking in his surroundings. 

“Listen. The stairs should be clear. The fire didn’t make its way there yet. We need to be quick but careful. Can you follow me?” He asked as he looked down at the man. 

“Yes.” The man said, he sounded confident and determined which made Alec sigh in relief. Trying to get someone to safety who is willing to co-operate was always positive. 

Alec made his way towards the door looking behind to make sure the man was following closely. 

He heard the man coughing once he opened the door. The black smoke was swirling in dangerously stealing any remaining fresh oxygen from the loft. 

“Wait.” Alec said and turned around to face the man. 

He ran into the bath room and grabbed a towel and dampened it before going back to the man. 

“Cover your face, breath through your nose.” He said as he handed the towel for the man. He saw fear and tears in the man’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if the tears were the result of the smoke or the whole situation, but he felt the urge to reassure the man. 

“It will be alright.” 

“If we get out.. I’ll take you for drinks.” The man said and Alec almost laughed. It was surreal and inappropriate. He liked the man. 

“Okay. _When_ we get out, because we will.” He said to the man before turning away again to leave the loft. 

They made their way towards the door that opened onto the stairs fairly quickly. There was nothing blocking their way on the corridor apart from a single plant in the corner, but Alec remembered it, so they didn’t end up kicking it up. 

The moment he touched the door knob he froze for a second. Despite wearing thick protective clothing, he could feel the heat radiating from the other side and he swallowed. It was never a good sign. 

“Move back.” He turned around, instructing the man to give him some space. Opening the door was risky. It could feed the fire, but they really had no other option. 

He opened the door and turned away straightaway as the heat and more smoke hit him. 

He cursed inwardly, having no idea what the fuck could have go sideways this badly. 

He looked at the man as much as he could see him and grabbed his hand before throwing himself into the darkness. 

“Stay behind me. Don’t touch anything.” The man squeezed his hand and Alec took that as an okay. 

They started to walk down step by step. He didn’t want to risk slipping. The metal stairs must have been heated up by now and falling would mean burning which he really didn’t want to cross out from his to-do-list. 

Alec rarely let the fear to grasp his heart. He had to be brave. He couldn’t allow himself to panic. 

Right now, however, he was really close losing his cool. 

The fire made its way up to the third floor, judging by the orange lights coming from under the door as they passed it. 

He squeezed the man’s hand as a way to remind him that it will be okay. 

The heat was almost unbearable by this point and he really wondered what was going on with the others. 

He stopped when he felt the man stopping behind him and turned around to make sure he was okay. 

The man held a finger up for a second before he started to walk again. 

“I _promise_ I’ll get you out of here.” He said and saw something in the man’s expression. He shook his head, they had to hurry. 

They were a floor and a half away from the ground floor. A few metres from safety when it happened. 

An explosion. 

It sent both of them flying down the stairs. 

They were both lying on the floor for a minute before getting up. 

Alec looked over to the man who managed to get up on his own. He was glad they were far from the door, if they would have been standing in front of it, they would be both dead right now. 

Alec followed the man towards the main doors. He will take a week off at least after this. 

Fuck it. Two even. 

Once they were out, he spotted Jace running towards them, his eyes wide in shock. 

“Help Magnus. I’m fine.” He said as he stopped and leaned on his legs, trying to breath in some fresh air. 

Jace, for once, didn’t argue and went to the man straight away. 

Alec followed them as he tried to clear his head. It was a hell of a situation. 

They headed towards the ambulance when a second bang shook the building. Alec heard people gasping and he watched them as they surrounded the scene. He never understood why people had any sort of interest in watching such a tragedy. He surely would be as far from it as possible if he could. 

Magnus was moved into the ambulance and Alec jumped in without thinking. 

He watched as the man was placed on the bed, given an oxygen mask. 

He watched the man’s chest raising up and down as he lied there with his eyes closed. 

He looked terrible as the dirt covered his face, his hair wet from sweat. yet he was beautiful. 

Alec tried to supress a smile and he realised he was being way to giddy for the situation. 

He cleared his throat as he waited for them to arrive to the hospital hoping to get rid of all the thoughts that weren’t about his health. 

  
When they got there they rushed in Magnus, checking his vitals. He hoped he didn’t have any serious injuries from the explosion. 

Alec was pacing up and down on the corridor. He was nervous and frustrated. He couldn’t bare the idea of losing someone again. 

He sat down after a while. He had no idea how long he’s been waiting when the door finally opened. 

Jace chose that moment to show up. He looked really worn out and oddly nervous. 

“Jace..” Alec started but Jace went to the nurse who just stepped out of the room. 

“Is he awake?” He asked, his voice was almost rude, and it made Alec frown. 

“He is, but he isn’t ready to take visitors.” The nurse said politely, ignoring Jace’s attitude. 

“I need to speak to him.” Jace said, passing the nurse and marching into the room. 

Alec rolled his eyes. It was so typical. He went after Jace apologising the nurse on his behalf. It might only sounded as a muffled murmur because he got no response. 

“Hello. I’m Jace Herondale from NYFD.” Jace said to Magnus with a nod. 

“As if it wouldn’t be obvious.” Alec breathed under his nose as he stood behind Jace. He leaned against the wall, a small smile playing on his lips. The man looked good, considering what they have just been through. 

“Ma..Magnus Bane.” The man said quietly as he coughed in-between. 

“Look. I know it’s hard, but I need to speak to you.” Jace said in a stern voice. 

“Jesus Jace.. give him a break.” Alec said unbelievingly. He couldn’t imagine why he would be so pushing. 

Jace let out a shaky breath and Alec couldn’t see his face, but he could have sworn that he also closed his eyes for a moment. 

“It’s okay.” The man said not moving his gaze from Jace. 

When Jace finally spoke, his voice sounded broken almost as a whispered plea. 

“My partner.. Alec..he went in to get you..did you.. did you see him coming out?” 


End file.
